Friends in Strange Races
by Saetan SaDiablo
Summary: Two friends discover their guild-mates have been kidnapped by the Horde. What follows is a very unusual tale of their rescue and the friendships forged along the way.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

A single small green leaf rippled in the breeze as it lofts gently towards the ground of the deep forest, reflecting sunbeams from its shiny surface and passing two squirrels leaping from branch to branch. A gust of wind begins to launch it back upwards again, but a slender hand reaches out and gently clasps the stem between two fingers. The hand belongs to a young woman leaning against a tree, her armor shining nearly as brightly as the leaf as she brings it to her face and smiles. The smile reaches her eyes, bright blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight and looking past the leaf she holds to another figure.

The woman considers her friend, another young woman kneeling quietly in the soft moss and soil, her robes neat and straight despite the breeze. Absently, the woman wonders if her friend uses her mastery of the elements to keep the breeze from touching her, but then giggles at the thought as she sees a lock of her friend's short blonde hair blow gently in the breeze. Her own hair, tied back behind her head in a long silken tail, was trying the same trick.

The two of them were relaxing after an afternoon of recovering artifacts for some dwarves who had to evacuate a cave when a number of Troggs had burst through one of the walls. Ugly things, Troggs, all growl and teeth. Her blade had sated itself on their blood as they dashed themselves against the pair. Now they washed in the small stream nearby and just enjoyed the vibrant life of Elwyn Forest.

Slipping to the ground, she leaned back against the bark of the tree and opened one of her silk packs, grinning momentarily at the craftsmanship and seeing her name sewn into each one in a fine delicate hand, "Tira". She looked over at her friend again and made a mental note to thank her again for the gifts. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small stone, and began sharpening her blade lightly, enjoying the light hiss of the whetstone across the steel.

A few feet away, her friend cracked open one eye and peered at Tira. "You know.. Meditation is easier when I don't have to endure your rasping rock and metal." The cold statement was belied by the grin that quirked her lips up and the light in the eye gazing at Tira. After a moment, she opened her other eye and stretched. Her light gray robes were trimmed with gold, a gift torn from the corpse of a sorcerer who had tried to enslave them both some time back.

Tira grinned. "True, but you never seem to mind my blade being sharp when something big and nasty is charging for your neck." The argument was old, familiar, and came easily to their lips. "What's next Val?"

Val, or Valia, looked up at her. "Want to duel? We could practice some--" her sentence was cut off by a sound to their left. Vague thumping noises were growing louder as something approached, but the trees provided enough cover it was difficult to tell what. "That's no horse," Val said, as the ground shook with each thud. "Whatever it is, it's big. And it's coming right for us."

She took a step forward, reaching for her staff, when the leaves in front of her exploded in a flurry of green. Tira flung herself forward, grabbing Valia and throwing both of them out of the way. The two of them rolled heavily over a number of tree roots, and finally stopped against the base of a large elm tree. Valia looked up at Tira who was on top of her and blinked. "You know.. When I suggested dueling, I didn't mean wrestling. Ow, your armor hurts."

The two of them untangled themselves and stood up quickly, looking at the source of their tumble. It was huge. A giant figure in dull gray armor with black fur and large black horns sat atop an enormous lizard, laughing at them. Scars crisscrossed his arms, face and shoulders. A large twin-bladed axe stained a permanent red rested easily across his lap.

Val looked at Tira. "Think he's housetrained?"

Tira didn't bat an eye. "You can't keep him, missy, so take him back!"

The two of them were trying to come up with some sort of plan when the Tauren grabbed something from the saddle and tossed it at them. Tira reached out and caught it. It was a small bundle of cloth. As she unrolled it, Valia' breath caught. Unrolled, the cloth revealed itself as two torn and bloody tabards, the symbols still readable as a Gryphon in gold on a dark crimson background. Her symbol. Their symbol.

The Horde had captured guild-mates of theirs, and now they were toying with them. Or was it possible they wanted a ransom? Suddenly the Tauren spoke, two words in badly accented common, the first time she had ever heard a Tauren speak.

"You come."

Then it turned and rode off the way it had come, at a speed they couldn't hope to match.

Val turned to Tira and raised an eyebrow. "Well. I guess we know what we're doing this afternoon."

Tira sheathed her blade and slung her pack over her shoulder. "An assault on the Horde with no idea where or how? Sounds like fun."

Val nodded, even though she was chilled through. Now wasn't the time to freeze. Turning, she loosed a blast of ice at the stream, creating a sheet of ice across the surface, and more importantly, sending that cold out of herself, leaving behind only a steely determination.

"We'll start with ratchet, and see if anyone there has seen or heard anything. Then we head for the Crossroads."

Tira grinned. "Race you there." She reached down to her belt and touched the small glowing stone there, and was surrounded by a green glow as her Hearthstone activated. A moment later she disappeared in a flash.

Val looked around one last time. "Yeah. Time to race."

Closing her eyes, she recalled the patterns of magic she had learned, and twisted the energy around herself. In a flash of blue light, she was gone.

Across the clearing, a single small green leaf fluttered down in the breeze, reflecting the sunlight as it slowly came to rest on two torn tabards past which a pair of squirrels chased one another.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

A sleek and shiny form leapt high into the air, catching brilliant sunbeams and sending a kaleidoscope of color reflecting off onto the ocean surface before arcing back down and disappearing between the bluish green rolling water with barely a splash. This was repeated by others, each relishing a brief moment of freedom before rejoining the clear waters of the sea. The few clouds overhead were floating by, puffy and light, with no rain to drop. The endless stretch of waves and water was broken only by a single large ship, cutting through the waters and leaving a silent wake behind it.

Standing atop the deck of that ship, Valia and Tira gazed forward into the wind and silently wondered what they were getting in to. Tira was the one that saw the vague form ahead, and pointed, saying only, "Land." Valia squinted and saw it a moment later.

The ship sailed into the port effortlessly, edging up to the long stained wooden pier and standing still just long enough for the two to step off before it sailed back out and disappeared into the horizon quickly. Pausing only a moment, Valia glanced around the golden-sanded town and recognized a face she was looking for. Her steps were not hurried, but her stride carried her quickly into the center of the huts and buildings constructed on the beach.

Ratchet, or Racket, as she liked to call it, was almost always busy and bustling. Today was no exception, as blacksmiths and tanners, vendors and craftsmen all vied for the attention of the travelers. Most of these were members of the Horde, but in this town few even glanced twice at the two human women as they made their way uphill towards one of the larger buildings. Inter-mixing of the races was simply a fact of life in Ratchet, and the goblins enjoyed it that way, as it brought bigger profit to them.

Tira realized that Valia was following a goblin of average height, wearing well made silk clothing. He had two others with him, and the three of them barely ever looked around as they walked into the Inn. As the two women followed, Tira thought she saw a large orc watching them, but when she turned for a better look, he was gone.

The two stepped inside the Inn just in time to see their target heading down a set of stairs in the back room. As Valia headed for them, however, the Innkeeper, a short goblin wearing an obscene amount of silver and gold jewelry, stopped them and stood before them. "Ladies! How may we serve you? A room, perhaps? One with one extra large bed, hmm?" His leer made it quite plain that he had such a room, and Tira didn't doubt for a moment that he had a hole drilled somewhere as well at eye level.

Tira felt her cheeks warming, but Valia just glared at the goblin and the temperature in the Inn dropped ten degrees. She waved and he stumbled to the side out of her way, but as she took another step, a large orc with a vicious looking double-bladed axe stepped into the back doorway and glared. Tira also noticed two trolls in the corner, before they vanished into the shadows. She laid a hand on her blade.

Valia paused, her ornate robes flaring for a moment in a wind no one else could feel as she gathered energy to her. They seemed to sparkle, holding magic Valia could twist and form in an instant if needed. Valia looked back at the Innkeeper and frowned. "I want to see Graph Xa'llit. Tell him."

The Innkeeper looked startled but turned to the orc and muttered something in their guttural language. The orc responded in kind and a moment later the goblin said "He says you're either brave or a fool. Possibly both. Who are you to ask about Graph?"

Valia's lips quirked up in a very faint smile before instantly reverting to a steely glare. She thought to herself that if the orc, much less Tira, ever knew of her old lifestyle and how she knew graph, the head of one of the largest crime syndicates in Azeroth, she'd have a lot of explaining to do. Instead she just said "Tell him Whisper wants to talk with him." She ignored the odd look Tira gave her, instead focusing on the orc, whose eyes widened. He laughed, a harsh sound not unlike the machinery in Ironforge where the gnomes had made their home.

When the goblin spoke again it seemed as though his voice had a certain tinge of respect in it. "He says you are indeed brave and that you may come – alone."

Val shook her head. "My business involves my friend. We both go. With or without an invitation." She raised one hand and flames danced from it, burning into the air without touching her pale skin, shifting from a subtle blue to a bright red and back again. Tira could feel the heat from where she stood.

The orc narrowed his eyes and spoke again. The Innkeeper looked frightened, his green skin crinkling at his brow. "He says not to press your luck. But he agrees, and says you are responsible for her." Tira looked insulted, and Val laid a hand gently on her arm, giving her a look that said she'd explain later.

As they followed the orc into the back room and down that set of stairs into the basement, she noticed the two trolls were sitting at the table playing some dice game again. The Innkeeper was still standing in the side, gazing after them with a thoughtful expression on his face.

In the cellar, they looked around and saw only wine racks and crates of food. The orc, feet leaving prints in the grey dusty floor, walked to the center, though, and stomped his foot three times. A second later, a trap door opened and revealed a square of darkness. The orc swung down and disappeared within it.

The two women looked at once another and then shrugged. Val walked over and found a ladder. The two of them descended quietly into the black, and Tira wondered what she was getting into – and what other secrets her friend might be holding.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The darkness was so complete it was nearly a palpable force in the space below the cellar. As Tira and Valia went down the ladder, which Tira felt was endless and must go on forever until they fell off the other side of the world, that darkness pressed and tore at them, trying to smother them. Finally, she could stand it no longer and murmured a prayer, raising one hand which lit up softly, bathing the small tunnel they were in with a dim white glow. She silently sent feelings of thanks and felt a warm touch in answer.

Below her, Valia smiled softly, and the orc grunted. As they continued to descend, Tira began to wonder exactly how far down they were. The had been descending the ladder for what seemed like an hour, though in reality it was only 5 minutes or so. Finally the tunnel gave way and they found themselves in a giant cavern. Tira felt her mouth drop open as she stared down. The ladder continued down another fifty feet, and touched the ground in the center of a town larger than Ratchet if she guessed right. Torches and lanterns everywhere lit the buildings and pathways. Suddenly dizzy, she clutched at the ladder briefly until the sensation passed.

They finished climbing and stepped onto the solid rock of the cavern floor, looking back up and seeing the tiny opening of the tunnel well over their heads. It was nearly invisible unless you knew what to look for. Of course, the ladder was sort of an obvious clue.

As they got their bearings, the orc began to walk down a narrow path between buildings. A few others were walking about, mostly orcs and goblins, but Tira and Valia did see an occasional elf or human. None spoke to them, barely even glancing in their direction. Tira wondered if that were because of the orc leading them or simply an unspoken code here.

Finally the orc stopped at a large building made of brick, the only of its type they had seen in this subterranean city. Gesturing, he motioned for them to enter. Valia opened the door and walked inside, and Tira followed closely. The orc stayed outside.

Inside was a large room with seats in a circle and a table at the center. Seated in the circle were a number of orcs, Tauren and trolls. A goblin stood in the center at the table. As they stepped inside, he turned to stare at them, snapping his mouth closed on whatever he had been saying when the door opened.

His eyes narrowed and a fist came down on the table hard, making the papers and other things jump. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Valia took another step forward and grinned. "Hello, Graph. Miss me?"

The goblin's eyes bulged. He squeaked and coughed, clearing his throat before trying to speak again. "Whisper.. You have some nerve coming here, and bringing someone else. I planned to kill you for what you did, you have to know that. Why would you return?"

Valia looked down at the stone floor, and her grin vanished. Tira was silent, wondering what was going on. When Valia spoke again, it was subdued. "Graph, that.. That was a long time ago. I was a different person. Whisper died, let it be."

The goblin stared at her for a long moment. "Fine. If Whisper died than you two are just intruders here, and in the city of Gilderom, the penalty for that is death as well. Looks like your unlucky day." He waved an arm and all the Horde sitting around stood, turning to face the two.

Valia stared at Graph, as though daring him to give the order. Finally, she half turned and spoke to Tira instead. "I know you must be lost. A number of years ago, I went by the name of Whisper. I was a member of this organization, called the Clan. We- they.. are smugglers, criminals, but most have good hearts. The leader at the time was a half-ogre. Mean bastard. He planned an attack on Theramore, intended to kidnap a lot of people and ransack the keep. A lot of us didn't approve, and there was a sort of civil war in here. I left. Graph here had wanted me to back him, but.. I didn't want to get involved."

She paused, looking back at the goblin, who continued to glare at her. When he didn't say anything, she continued. "I lost track of them. I wasn't sure who won, if he had lived or died. I knew the attack on Theramore hadn't gone off, but that could have been any number of things. I gave up the name Whisper and returned to my magical studies at the tower in Stormwind. When I saw him in Ratchet, I.. I'm not sure, but I knew a face and thought we could ask for help."

She looked around the circle at the faces glaring at her, and sighed. "I thought Graph would forgive me because of our history together, but.. It appears I was wrong. I'm sorry for bringing up the past, Graph. We'll get out of your way." She turned and began to walk out. The others began to come forward, as though to intercept her, but Graph raised a hand and they froze.

"Wait." Valia turned back. Grapg seemed to look through her for a moment before finally raising a hand to his forehead. "I'm going to regret this, I'm sure, but.. You're right. I owe you. What do you need?"

Val grinned. "The usual, Graph. The world on a platter." Turning, she walked back over and into the circle, holding out a hand to the goblin. As he took it and they shook, Tira tried to make sense of everything, but gave up. Val began explaining their situation, and Tira sat down and tried to concentrate on the next few hours.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Tira groaned, trying to figure out how she had let herself get talked into this plan in the first place. Looking down, she swayed and clutched the side of the deck railing. Far, far below her were the green hills and forests of Azeroth. She had thought she was sturdy enough, never having gotten sick on ships at sea or on gryphon-back, but for some reason this contraption she was in made her queasy. She was riding in a zeppelin far up among the clouds, and she thought she must be turning bright green – except, looking down at her hands, she really was at the moment.

Sighing again, she played back the scene in her mind. Valia and Graph both laughing and suddenly looking at her, their eyes gleaming. Valia asking her if she trusted her, and her own reply that she did, of course. She was beginning to wonder. She was en route to Ogrimaar via the Horde zeppelin routes, and she was already beginning to have third and fourth thoughts of the wisdom of this plan. She was painted green, and had fake teeth in her mouth, making her look, to a quick glance, like an orc woman. She couldn't speak Orcish, however, which was why she had a goblin from Graph's crew with her. She was pretending to be a mute retired mercenary, and the few orcs that had approached her with a gleam in their eye led her to believe two things. First, that Graph's makeup job had been very well done, and second, that there weren't many retired mercenaries in the Horde, making her a "prime" romantic target.

The zeppelin dipped in a breeze, and her stomach once again left her to play among the wispy white vapor. The goblin standing next to her laughed and muttered a comment under his breath about weak humans. Clenching her teeth she stood straighter, determined to prove she wasn't weak. She turned to look over the deck, and froze in place, shock turning her legs to stone.

The goblin saw her expression and laughed harder, thinking she was growing more upset about the ride. As time seemed to slow down round her, Tira reached out one hand and pointed across the deck and slightly up from the ship itself. The goblin looked where she pointed and choked on his laughter. A moment later he was screaming. Though he was screaming in Orcish, she had no trouble understanding him, as the single word wasn't that different between the languages.

"DRAGON!" Crew and other passengers all whirled in surprise at the goblin's cry, and stared in horror at the giant shape approaching them. Jet black, with a wingspan longer than the zeppelin itself, the dragon roared and revealed wicked foot and a half long teeth and a serpentine tongue a moment before it sent a stream of flame towards the vessel. Tira absently noted that the flame was almost liquid, arcing towards the zeppelin instead of moving straight as she would have expected. Then the flames slammed into the opposite railing and the deck ignited in a rush, wrapping a few over-curious trolls in red and orange light. They barely had time to scream before they dropped to the smoldering wooden planks, motionless.

The captain of the zeppelin, up in the fo'c'stle, was shouting orders, and the ship began to drop quickly through the air, heading for the land so far below them. Not quickly enough, however, as the dragon folded its wings and dropped on them, vicious talons slicing deep into the balloon keeping them aloft. The balloon exploded, turning in an instant from a floating support for the ship into a set of tattered ribbons tangled in the dragon's claws. As the buoyancy of the balloon disappeared, the weight of the ship and all its passengers suddenly fell squarely on the Dragon, caught as it was in the scraps of balloon.

They fell again, the dragon now beating its wings furiously, trying to stay aloft, and slowing their screaming path downwards. They shook from side to side and bounced with each stroke of those mighty wings, passengers and crew flying from railing to mast and back. Tira clamped her hands on the railing and held on, struggling to keep her feet on the deck.

Glancing over the side, she saw the ground spinning beneath them, growing larger and more distinct with each passing moment. The dragon must have seen it as well, for its cries grew louder, and it began attempting to chew through the cloth tangling it. As its head drew near, Tira lunged forward without thinking, drawing her blade in one motion and plunging it deep into one of those giant eyes filled as much with panic now as rage.

A shriek filled her world, louder and more piercing than any noise she had ever heard, as the dragon threw its head up and pure pain tore from its throat. Tira's sword was still trapped in its eye, torn from her hands, and she stumbled backwards and fell to the burning deck, staring up at what she had done. Realizing she was still hundreds of feet in the air, and the only thing between all of them and a quick trip directly down was the dragon she had just half blinded, she heard herself say softly, "Oops."

Just then the dragon refocused and whipped its head about to stare directly at her with its good eye. She had a moment to think to herself that having the undivided attention of a large angry dragon was not one of the things Valia had mentioned to her before she left, then the dragon's maw was plunging down at her, teeth ready to tear her into ribbons vaguely resembling the ones left of the zeppelin balloon.

She threw herself to one side and groaned as her back slammed into a ladder post, covering her face as the deck exploded under the dragon's muzzle, wood splintering and flying everywhere. Getting her feet under her, she launched herself at the dragon again and grabbed her sword in both hands, pulling it out and whirling in a circle, stabbing again, this time at the exposed ear, its sharp steel edge sliding smoothly into that scaly skin up to the hilt. The dragon roared again, choking, and the hilt suddenly surged up and slammed into her forehead, sending her crashing to the ground again. Staring at the fuzzy forms in front of her as she lay there, she saw the dragon cough blood and claw at its head, trying to dislodge the large steel sword.

Tira took a moment to wonder at her own audacity, and then the world disappeared in a roar.

When she woke, she found herself lying in grass, trying to remember what had happened. Opening her eyes, she cringed as light sent a blast of pain into her skull. After a few moments she managed to open them – and found herself surrounded by a circle of orcs, trolls, and Tauren. The were glaring at her, weapons drawn and held menacingly. Then she looked at herself and groaned. In the fall, and the fire, her makeup had burned off. She was smeared with some, but it was very clear she was no orc now.

The apparent leader of the orcs barked a question, and she stared at him blankly. Then a voice next to her made her look over, seeing the goblin, bound in the grass a few feet away. He answered the question and glanced over at her. "He wants to know why you are here, and why he should not kill you. I told him you've come looking for someone, and that the truce between your peoples is reason enough."

The orc gazed down at her for a moment, then reached behind him and swung a sword around and pointed it at her. She froze, then realized it was her sword. The orc laughed. Reversing the sword, he handed it to her hilt first. The goblin translated. "He says the dragonslayer is welcome here, and for your deeds they will help you." The goblin sounded amazed. "I.. ah.. I think you need to understand, this is something that has never been done before. It's quite an honor.."

The orcs then stepped forward and unbound the goblin, and helped Tira to her feet. The leader clasped her arm and wiped some green paint from her cheek. The goblin laughed. "He says you have no need to hide your skin, anyone who will assault a dragon in the air has the heart of an orc." They broke up and began walking towards the city, visible in the distance. Tira thought over everything that had just happened and began to laugh.

Pulling a small crystal vial from her bags, amazed it survived the crash, she poured a small bit of liquid to the ground, where it froze solid and then began to glow. A moment later Val's face appeared in the scrying pool, and her familiar voice came through, alarmed. "Tira! What happened! Your face, are you ok?"

Tira smiled. "I'm fine Val. Just the usual, you know.. Slaying a dragon, winning the key to Ogrimaar. I wanted to let you know things are interesting here, and I'll check back when I know more. Take care."

And with that, enjoying the absolutely amazed look on her friend's face, Tira wiped the pool and walked on after the orcs.


End file.
